NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson at a recent league summit near Atlanta stressed that the league "intends to move forward from a position of strength" which means "identifying and coalescing around a core of committed clubs next season, and then crafting a plan to expand intelligently" in '18 and beyond, according to Brian Straus of SI.com. That commitment "has been put to the test in certain cities as the American pro soccer landscape shifts and settles." NASL has been "reluctant to accept second-tier status while trying to find the right balance between collective stability and the unique independence offered to its clubs." At this point, as the NASL’s sixth regular season enters its final three weeks, there "appears to be sufficient stability to give Peterson the freedom to explore expansion." Peterson said, "Over the course of the next few weeks, the league has several meetings scheduled with potential investment groups that are looking at a number of intriguing markets." Straus noted at the moment, it looks like the NASL Ottawa Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies "will leave for the USL after the season, although the latter's departure isn’t finalized." Minnesota United is on its way to MLS and the expansion S.F. Deltas are "scheduled to come in." The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers "need new owners," and Rayo OKC’s future "remains cloudy." Even if the league fields eight or nine teams next year, if Peterson and the remaining owners are able to "secure new commitments" for '18, NASL would "be in position to rebound" (SI.com, 10/7).
MEETING OF THE MINDS: Deltas CEO Brian Helmick said of the summit, "This wasn’t a meeting to make decisions that are tactical. It was a meeting to make sure that we came together." In S.F., Douglas Zimmerman noted in the month leading up to the summit, consultants who have worked with companies including Apple, Facebook and Google "conducted interviews with the league's clubs to discover shared priorities and goals." Helmick: "There was this level of transparency, dialogue, humility, and collaboration that I had not seen before." Zimmerman noted the core group of owners is "believed to include" the N.Y. Cosmos, Carolina Railhawks, Miami FC and Indy Eleven. Helmick confirmed one of the moves the league has already made is to "build a more positive relationship" with the U.S. Soccer Federation (SFGATE.com, 10/7).
